Mid-August Mix

Every year mid-August brings a flurry of conflicting emotions as I feel the summer starting to wind down. Between beginning of the year faculty meetings, my rigorous schedule of home visits and a late summer trip to get my own son ready for school, I can count my free days on one hand. They seem precious and not to be squandered. The conflict comes as I must choose whether to use those days to enjoy the last glimpses of summer or get a leg up on my planning. Some days it's a tough call but today I'm all about planning.With this in mind I thought I would share a couple of books I'm reading these days that I'm just loving.When my last class was in fifth grade we read a short biography on Anna Botsford Comstock, the author of this great book Handbook of Nature Study. The book goes over how to teach children about nature in a very engaging, enlivened and experiential way. It is full of information and great ideas for presenting it. I think it'll be great for my Human and Animal block this year.I may be coming late to the party on this one, but I'm also reading The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. What a great book! It is such a sweet story and the little boy main character is such a great example of what it is like to study and learn about an animal. White weaves factual information about swans into the story in such a natural, beautiful way. I'm just trying to decide if I could assign this story as a class reader or if it will be a read aloud that we share together. Just wonderful.Well, I'm back to the books for now. It's a good thing I enjoy prep work so much!